Low-pressure cooker



NOV- 13, 1951 BEN-AMI BEN-DOR LOW-PRESSURE COOKER 2 SHEETS-SHEET lFiledl June 29, 1948 ff @u INVENTOR.

egY-mLen-Dor Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED) STATES Y PATENT ,',OFFICE 'a'1 t y 2,574,950 Low-PRESSURE cooKEa Ben-Ami Ben-Dor, Washington, D. C.Appuauon June 29, 194s, serial Nq. 35,7957 l vare more flavorful andretain their juiciness betf ter than vegetables cooked in a water pan.

My invention therefore has as its principal object the provision of asteam cooker operating' at or slightly above the vapor pressure ofboiling water, and equipped with means for providing a zigzag path `forascending steam so as to bring the same into intimatecontact with thefood, and for return of water of condensation out of contact with thefood.

Further objects and advantages of my invention are improvement of Ytheappearance and enhancement of the nutritional, value of the steamedfood, and avoidance of the danger of overcooking, unevenly cooking orllscorching the same; and simplicity, ease land efficiency of myapparatus, zas well as its rugged construction capable of withstandingrough handling intransport, and its light weight which is due to thefact that itsv walls do not have to withstand high pressures.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear more fullyfrom the following detailed description of a preferred embodimentthereof in connection with the appended drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1V is a perspective view ofa low-pressure steam cooker inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken through'lines Y2 2 of Fig. 1 with thetrays removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through lines 3-3 of Fig. 12

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the baffles in my steam cooker; Y

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspectiveview,` partly in section, showing themanner in which a baille is affixed to the cabinet of my low-pressurecooker.

More particularly. reference numeral II denotes a cabinet which ispreferably, but not necessarily, provided with insulation means I2. Thebottom portion of cabinet II interflts with a water reservoir pan I3,which is equipped with a filling spout I4. The opening leading from panI3 to spout I4 may be closed in any well-known mannexge. g., by waterlock I5; the water level in filled pan I 3 extends to a heightsufllcient to close the apertured position of spout I4. Any availablesource of iheat, including an openilre (not shown) maybe used forvaporizing the contents of thev water pan.

being affixed to a cabinet side wall in spaced` relation therefrom, e.g., by means of bracket I9. Thus, lateral steam passages are definedbetween oppositeside walls of cabinet I I, and the flanged -rims I1,`II' of trays I6, which are suspended from flanged supports I8. y

In order to assure intimate contact between the steam ascending fromwater pan I3 and the food in trays I'I, baille plates 20 are positionedvertically above water-pan I3 andjinterposed in .vertically staggeredrelation between the side walls of the cabinet and the tray supports I8.and engagingthem so as to dei-lne a zigzag path for the ascending steam,as is shown diagrammaticallyin Fig. 3. I prefer to support baitles'ZIlby the same bracket I9 which also supportsa flange `I 8, as is shown'indetail in Fig. 5.

Baflle plates 2U are troughed and provided with weep holes 2| forreturning water of condensation from the top of the cabinet to the waterpan without contacting the food contained in the trays. Weep holes 2Iare sufciently small to prevent the passage of any substantial amount ofsteam therethrough, so that the major volumeof generated steam willfollow the prescribed zigzag path around a battle plate 20 and tray I6.j The top of cabinet II is equipped with a conventional valve 22, whichmay be set at or slightly above the vapor pressure of boiling water, topermit egress of thesteam from the cabinet at such pressure.

1 The cabinet `is accessible through door 2,3

which may be locked hermetically by meansk of lock 24. A pair of handlesy25, 25' are provided for ease of transportation.

The operation of my low-pressure steam cooker is sufficiently apparentfrom the foregoing description of its component parts. When the water inwater pan I3 is vaporized by application of heat thereto, steam ascendsin a zigzag path to the top of the cabinet and intimately contacts thefood prior to reaching the top. Water of condensation returns to thewater pan through the weep holes of the bailles, without contacting thefood, so as to insure that its flavor is not contaminated.

It will, of course, be understood that the foregoing preferredembodiment of my invention is returning water of condensation to saidwater reservoir in a path parallel to said side walls and out of contactwith said trays, said baille plates being positioned vertically abovesaid Water reservoir, and means for discharging said steam from saidcabinet.

4. A low-pressure steam cooker comprising a cabinet including a waterreservoir, a plurality of yerticallyspaced angedtrays in .said cabinet,

lfflongatedlangs afllxed togoppositeside walls of and defining steampassages between Lsa'idtrays and said Walls, a plurality of troughedbaille plates in vertically staggered relation, each of saidbale platesengaging one of said sidewalls andoneof said tray supporting means fordeninga zigzag...

path for steam ascending in said cabinet through theunobstructed spacesbetween said trays and l,side Walls, said baille Y,plates "beingperforated for returning water of condensation to -said-water reservoir.in a path parallel to said side walls and out ,ofcontact with. saidtrays. said baille plates fbeingpositioned vertically above lsaidwaterreserlloir, ,and means for discharging'said steam fromzsaidcabinetl 2,.'.A `loir-pressure steam cooker comprising a ,cabinetincluding Aa Water reservoir, aplurality of -vertically aligned spacedtrays, meansafxed to ,Opposite side Walls of said lcabinet inhorizontally spaced relation to said walls for supporting'said ,traysanddefining steam passages between said traysand said walls, aplurality oftroughed baffle -plates in vertically staggered relation, each of ,said,baille plates engaging one o f said sidewalls and one .of said traysupporting means `for deninga ,zigzag path .for steam ascending in said.cabinetthrough .the unobstructed .spaces between said .trays and .sideWalls, said baille plates being perforated .for returning water ,of.condensation .tosaid water-reservoir in a path VVparallel to said sidewalls and out of contactwth said trays, s aid baflleplatesbeingpositioned vertically abovesaid water reservoir, and means fordischarging ,said

steam from saidcabinet.

. V3. A low-pressure steam `-.cooker comprising a `cabinet including aWater reservoir, vertically -..-spac,edilanged trays in.said cabinet,means aiixed .to .opposite side walls of said cabinet forsuspend- .ingsaid vilailflged traysjn horizontally spaced relation -to Vsaid wallsand for dening steam passagesbetween said .trays and said walls, aplurality of troughedbaille plates in vertically-staggered relation,each .of .saidbaille plates engaging one of Tsaid ,sidewalls and onevvof said tray suspension means for defining a zigzag path for.steamascending `in said ,cabinet through the un- .,obstructed spacesbetween .said trays and lside walls, and said baille platesbeinglperforated for said cabinet in horizontally spaced relation to `saidwalls for suspending said trays, a plurality of troughed baille platesin vertically staggered relation, 'leach of said baille plates engagingone of said side Walls and one of said elongated ilanges for definingazigzag path for steam ascending in :said-:cabinet--throngh theunobstructed spaces between .Said trays and side Walls, said bailleplates beingperforated for returning water of condensation to said waterresrvoir in a path parallel to said-sidewa'llsand outfof contactLWith-said trays, -said'iba'iile plates 'being positioned verticallyabove said Water reservoir, and -means for discharging `said steam fromvsaid cabinet.

f5. A low-pressure stear'n cooker comprising 'a cabinet including awaterreservoir, a plurality orf-vertically aligned spaced flanged ytrays vinsaid cabinet, elongated ilanges afllxedto opposite `side Walls of saidcabinet in horizontally spaced relation to said walls forsuspending'said trays, a plurality oftroughed 'baille'plates invertically staggered relation, eachoi'v saidfballle plates engaging voneof Vsaid side wallsandone'of said yelonagted flanges for dening a zigzagpath for steam ascending in said cabinet :through the unobstructedspaces vbetween said trays and-side Walls, said troughed baille platesincluding Imeans disposed vertically above said waterreservoir forreturnfing water of condensation to said water/reservoir in a pathparallel to said side walls and out of contact with said trays, andmeans for dischargingsaidste'am fromasaid cabinet.

v`BEN-AMI BEN-DOR.

REFERENCES 4CITED "The Yfollowing references lare of record 'in the leof this patent:

UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Y.Austria ;1 Sept. 25, 1899

